Please, no more bloody letters and permission slips!!!!

[lovecheese]

I swear that my DC's school must have got through several trees over the last few weeks with the amount of stuff that has been sent home, and my, ahem, "Filing system" means that some have got lost or chucked away by mistake.

Just wanted a rant, really, before I plough through the pile needed by tomorrow. Grrrrrr.

Okay. Let's end all trips and communication immediately.

We don't send out letters for no reason at all, believe me.

But permission slips for juniors for something that they have to go to the infant building to do?

You could try being me!!

5 dc in 5 different schools!

5 different schools, really? OK, I'm guessing one in nursery, one in infants, one in juniors at a separate site, one in secondary and one in sixth form?

I get letters every day from 2 different schools. You need a better system than dumping on a pile.

Alternatively ask if there is email list. DS's school sends things out by email, dd's school doesn't.

If your 10 year old DC had been taken up a very steep hill, in the dark at 11pm, not returning till 2am (having been put in a car to get him there), with only 2 torches between 7 people without your knowledge or consent, you wouldn't be moaning about consent forms. (It wasn't through school!)

And yes, I did complain. And yes, they covered for the leader responsible! Information was very sparse and with no consent form all parents assumed that by night hike + sleepover they meant a walk round the surrounding area, returning around midnight for a cup of cocoa!

Our LEA won't let us do that.

Does it cover all trips, Euphemia?

Euphemia, which LA? sounds good to me.

Ah. Bit too far north. Never mind.

My dc school uses a website called homecontact.co.uk it's brilliant. Everything is emailed, you print what you need. All consent forms are completed and returned via email. We can even pay for trips via the site. Suggest it to your school. It makes a huge difference.

i hate the letters half of them are tat - our 2 asst heads are retiring, wear a tartan ribbon on friday, dress like a fish on tuesday and god knows what other crap we get- i just leave it for the OH to read unless its a permission slip then i sign it.

You need a better system OP, I've go one but the the huge amount of paperwork generated by GCSEs and Y11 in general got me seriously muddled several times. So it does get worse.
Sympathetic

you know op I agree with you and I do not think it is particular helpful to comment on her " filing system"

when you have several children it can be a lot to ensure you are kept up to date with permission slips. the fact you knwo they are nesesarry somehow doesnt change the fact they are tedious and a bore to deal with JUST as much as i think they are for the school.

The primary school my youngest 3 are in sends out emails. Great yes. but I have to print them out and take them back in i cant simply respond affirming. So actually as much work for me as it was before..

the 2ndary my oldest is in sticks with letters however they often come out with 48 hours notice so if I am not organised we get called about it (irritating)

the 2ndary that my 2nd will start in september uses a email notification system whre you can give permission by (fromw hat I understood ) however this off course I need to learn more about.

simply because you get why something needsw to be done (like ironing) it doesnt have to be a good thing

Euphemia we used to do a yearly permission slip but new safeguarding rules say we can no longer do that and must get a slip for every trip.

That's what it's like here, too.

Strumpypumpy That website looks good - have emailed details to my headteacher, thanks.

All our letters get published on the school website.
Then we get a text message telling us to go and read/print off permission slips.

It saves on paper - but I'm not 100% convinced that it's an idiotproof system (and yes, I am one of the idiots who struggles to remember ).

I love getting communication from school. They are fantastic and always provide excellent newsletters and details about trips etc. They have a standard process, it is tidy and it works. They also give local community news as well

Have to admit - I like getting letters. I then leave them in the kitchen, near where I make the dss' sandwiches, to remind me what I'm supposed to be remembering for school... e-mails and texts aren't as ever present as a bit of greasy paper getting in the way in the kitchen.